East-Africa

Somalia has used an indirect, clan-and-delegate based election model for much of the past two decades. Under this approach, elections for national leadership are carried out through layers of representation rather than direct ballots cast by the public. Now, Somali lawmakers and political leaders have been discussing a shift toward “one person, one vote” universal suffrage, which would replace indirect voting with direct public elections. This explainer sets out the difference between Somalia’s indirect system and direct…

By Omar M. ElmiWednesday April 1, 2026 A war far from Ethiopia’s borders is already sending tremors through the country’s economy. The fighting in the Middle East is inflicting heavy human and material losses, but its reach is extending well beyond the battlefield, with disruptions that could hit trade, fuel supplies and food production in countries thousands of kilometers away. Ethiopia, landlocked and home to more than 120 million people, sits squarely in that danger zone. The risk is rooted in a basic structural…

Rwanda has taken a significant step to widen access to surgery with the overhaul of the surgical department at Kibungo Level Two Teaching Hospital, a project delivered through a collaboration involving the Ministry of Health, the University of Rwanda, and the medical nonprofit Operation Smile. The revamped facility includes modern operating theatres, an intensive care unit, a high-dependency unit, and dedicated training areas. Built on a hub-and-spoke model to bring services closer to communities, the approach upgrades…

Wednesday April 1, 2026 Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia has written a fresh chapter in its football history, edging Mauritius 4-2 on penalties on Tuesday to move into the next round of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) PAMOJA 2027 qualifiers after a tense, scoreless second leg. The match at the Côte d’Or National Sports Complex finished 0-0 in regulation time, just as the first leg in Mozambique had ended without a goal. After 180 minutes of play produced no breakthrough, the contest came down to a shootout,…

Four men appeared in a Harare courtroom accused of running a trafficking ring that sent Zimbabweans to Russia, where victims were allegedly coerced into fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war. Prosecutors say the suspects worked with a Russian national to recruit five people by advertising bogus firefighting jobs. Authorities allege the group targeted recruits on Facebook, Telegram, and WhatsApp, arranging travel to Russia before confiscating the victims’ documents on arrival. Instead of the promised emergency work, the…

With a coordinated show of strength, Zanu-PF packed public hearings on a Constitutional Amendment Bill that seeks to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s tenure to 2030. Supporters were ferried from towns such as Beatrice to sessions in Dema and Chitungwiza, where some filed written affidavits endorsing the proposal. The hearings again laid bare the opposition’s disarray, with its leaders struggling to mobilize a counter-presence. Opposition figures, meanwhile, accused the Parliamentary Committee running the hearings of…

Mozambique’s navy is under scrutiny after personnel were accused of unlawfully killing and injuring fishermen in Cabo Delgado on March 15, 2026, allegations detailed by Human Rights Watch that sharpen concerns over security conduct along the troubled coast. Amid ongoing security threats linked to the conflict in the region, Mozambique’s Defense and Security Forces have tightened controls on coastal movement and fishing in parts of Mocímboa da Praia and neighboring Macomia. Authorities say the restrictions are meant to curb…

Monday March 30, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Federal government forces, reinforced by armed groups linked to opposition factions in Southwest State, moved into Baidoa on Monday after intense clashes with the Southwest regional administration. Witnesses said gunfire broke out heavily on the town’s outskirts earlier in the day as the rival sides fought for control of strategic points in the interim administrative capital. The death toll was not immediately known, and neither side had issued official casualty figures. Footage…

Monday March 30, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — Federal government troops, supported by armed groups allied with opposition figures in Southwest State, pushed into Baidoa on Monday after fierce clashes with the Southwest regional administration. Witnesses said heavy gunfire rattled the town’s outskirts earlier in the day as the two sides fought over control of strategic sites in the interim administrative capital. The scale of the casualties remains uncertain, and neither camp has issued official numbers. Footage circulating on social…

Wycliffe Muia, NairobiSunday March 29, 2026 Giant African harvester ants - seen here in Kenya - have become highly sought after by hobby collectors across the world Right now, the ants are taking flight in Kenya. In the rainy season, clouds of them rise from thousands of anthills around Gilgil, a quiet farming town in Kenya's Rift Valley that has unexpectedly become the hub of a lucrative illegal trade. The mating ritual sends winged males out of the nest to fertilise queens, which also take to the air at this time. That…